5 players who just played their last game with the Los Angeles Lakers

By Jason Reed | Apr 11, 2022

DENVER, CO - APRIL 10: Malik Monk #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives past Bryn Forbes #6 of the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on April 10, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

3. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard’s resurgence with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2019-20 season truly was a great NBA story. Howard was potentially on the brink of retirement with no team signing him because of his off-court distractions becoming much larger than his on-court production.

However, DeMarcus Cousins then tore his ACL in a pre-season workout in Las Vegas and the Lakers needed to fill his spot in the depth chart. The team called the only viable veteran center on the market in Howard, who ended up being a solid producer for the team.

Howard played exactly the role the team needed him to play in the playoffs, even if that role was small. He even ended up hitting the last shot of the 2020 season, which was ironically a three-pointer.

This season Howard has noticeably been slower and the Lakers need to pivot from these slow, unathletic veteran centers. The Lake Show should still bring in a traditional center, but there are better options than Howard that the Lakers can get at the minimum.

If Howard returns to the team next season then that means the front office really struck out on all of the other potential center options. That is not a position the Lakers want to be in. Heck, the team could even get a traditional center in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets, who have been named as a candidate to trade for Russell Westbrook this summer.

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